Man arrested after student shot at Loughborough University gig

A 22-year-old man has been arrested after a student was shot in the abdomen during a concert at Loughborough University early yesterday.

The shooting happened at 2.45am at a gig by American urban act Pretty Ricky. Tickets were available on the door on Saturday night to members of the public for £9.

The victim, a 21-year-old student at the university who was employed as a security steward for the gig, was taken to hospital. His injuries are not thought to be life threatening. His family have been informed but he has not been named.

Six other people were taken to hospital by ambulance as a result of violence during the concert after a member of the audience set off a CS gas canister. They included a 26-year-old woman who had been punched in the face.

Detective Chief Inspector Phil Taylor, of Leicestershire police, who is leading the inquiry, said it was believed a number of people left the campus before the police had a chance to speak to them.

"It is important that we ascertain the circumstances leading up to the incident," he said. "Early indications from witnesses suggest that at some point , a CS gas canister was discharged." He urged witnesses to get in touch.

The man who has been arrested is not a student at the university. He is being questioned and has not been charged with any offence.

Students at the university were warned last month to be on their guard after a series of sexual assaults and attempted assaults on students.

Five women have been attacked since October, when a 20-year-old was subjected to a serious assault. Leicestershire police believe the same man is responsible for all the attacks.

In a joint statement from Loughborough University and the students' union, the vice chancellor, Professor Shirley Pearce, said: "The incident this morning has shocked us all at the university and union. We are a small close-knit community and events such as this are, thankfully, incredibly rare. Our first thoughts are with the victim and their family."